Smooookin! (a la the Mask)

I was perusing the NY Times today*, when I came across this article.

I'll be honest. I'm not the world's greatest fan of smoking. It more grosses me out than anything else. And I shamelessly trumpet how proud I am of my mom for quitting a couple Decembers back.

But COME ON. Is smoking really something that NEEDS to get considered when slapping a rating on a movie?

Ok, okay. Kiddies are impressionable. I get it. But here we have a VILLAN smoking. He's out-and-out a bad guy. Kids GET good-vs-evil. It's not like the Hulk is lighting up a Virgina Slim. The bad guy is puffin' on a cigar.

Whatever weirdo kid is idolizing the villain probably has other problems beyond being influenced by a comic book-turned-silver screen character.

But that's just me.

*I wish I could say this was a part of my daily journalistic fare... but the embarrassing truth is that a banner on my Gmail lured me in... something about Brangelina's psuedo-twins...